A Promise
by Jetstream Girge
Summary: A broken mind will conjure its own demons to justify its fears. A patient hand, ravaged by the jaws of that terror is needed to mend it. An entry in the Elsword Extended Project.
1. Chapter 1

**A new year means new inspiration and a renewed drive to bring my imagination forward for you all to see. This little two-shot is going to follow my Elsword Extended project - which will be posted on my profile soon - for you all to check out. I hope you enjoy this!**

* * *

Screams rang through the trees before fading away into silence, only for more to take their place. He was running – sprinting even – as he weaved past tree trunks and steel weapons alike. He was trying to reach a particular person only a short distance away as the sounds of a slaughter resounded under the blood-red tinted night sky.

His mind was still his, though he had no control over what his desperate body did. "This again…" he sighed to himself. He had seen so many times already that he had stopped counting. It was that one night where everything he held dear was brought down in blood and fire. He knew how it played out. It was always the same: He'd run past his comrades as they bled out on the forest floor, trying to reach _her_.

But no matter how hard he tried, he could not get there before _she_ was cut down by one of the many faceless soldiers that were carrying out this extermination. Only then would he finally reach _her_ and cradle _her_ in his arms as she slowly died, with _her_ staring into his eyes apologetically before attempting one last word and then succumbing. And then he would stroke _her_ slack face and cups his hand around her pointed ear t-

Wait. This wasn't right. _She_ wasn't supposed to have pointed ears; they were supposed to be regular, round ears. The only person he knew that had ears like this was…

He shakily gazed on the woman's face and realized that is was no longer _her_. It was his friend, the one who reminded him so much of her.

It was Rena.

His breath quickened as a cry threatened to escape his throat. "Rena…? Why are you…? You shouldn't be here. You can't be here!" He shook her limp body in a futile attempt to wake her. "Re-!"

His breath was hitched again, this time because it was no longer Rena he was looking at.

It was _her_ , again.

"Wha-?" he started before the face changed again. Now he was staring at Rena's slackened face.

"Ah…" His golden eyes widened in terror as he watched the dead woman in his arms shift from one to the other. The intervals between the changes soon quickened until he could no longer tell the difference between the elf and _her_.

"Ah…" This was not the nightmare he remembered. It was far more terrifying than watching _her_ die again. His body shivered at the grotesque figure in his arms when suddenly the head snapped up to stare at him with blank, white eyes. A deathly moan eked from its mouth before it shakily moved its lips to speak. And it spoke only one word…

"Raven…"

Only his name, but that was enough. Terror overtook him and he fell quiet for only a moment more.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" His voice finally gaining strength, he screamed as everything suddenly went black.

* * *

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" With that scream, Raven sprang up from his pillow, his eyes snapping open. He was in his room, or at least the room he picked out of the many vacant ones in the ruined inn the gang decided to make their temporary home in Velder.

His mind still in tatters from the nightmare, his eyes flicked here and there for any sign of his friend. Calm down, Raven. It was just a dream. Only a dream… he told himself, though it had little effect at the moment. Even if it wasn't real, to see his companion die in his arms was terrifying to say the least. Dark Continent, he probably would've been pretty shaken had it been any of his current friends.

But she was… a special case.

There were many reasons for that, but he did not want to think on that for now. At the moment, he was trying to at least get his breath under control. He reminded himself again and again that what he saw was not real in his mind and, like some form of self-hypnosis, he began to finally calm down.

Of course Rena was fine. There's no way she'd let herself get cut down helplessly. She'd put up a fierce fight that'd leave her opponent's regretting they dared cross her path, if not outright kick their ass; literally, in some cases. Combine her skills with her sharp elven senses, it would even be nearly impossible to get the drop on her as she sle-

As he was about to finish that thought, he realized something: He had screamed while waking from that nightmare. Loudly.

"Son of a phoru…" he quietly cursed to himself. Looking right, he stared at the wall that divided his room from the one the elf in question chose. He gazed at it long and hard, focusing his ears on any sound he could make out.

Nothing. No sounds of footsteps or the creaking of bed springs. Only the chirping of the crickets outside broke the silence of the night.

Did she not hear him?

Finally tearing his eyes away from the wall, he let himself fall back onto the bed to stare at the ceiling. Hopefully she didn't hear him, but that was a desperate wish more than anything.

He knew her. If she heard him scream, which she probably did, she would ask him about it at some point. If not tonight, it would be in the morning. And even if by some miracle she didn't hear him, she would notice if he was shaken from this nightmare.

That's how she was; always poking her nose in other's business like a naggy mother. He could still remember how long it took him to finally convince her to stop asking him why he was so uncomfortable around her after they first met. Almost six months.

"Guess we'll find out when the sun rises…" he mumbled to himself, allowing his eyes to flutter shut. As he fell under again, he prayed to the El Lady that he would not have another nightmare…

* * *

To his fortune, he had a completely dreamless night after that nightmare. Unfortunately, nightmares are always easy to remember and hard to forget.

Not that he wasn't trying to forget it, but even as he practiced his fencing he couldn't push it out of his mind. Each step he took, every crunch of gravel or grass beneath his feet reminded him of how he ran. Every practiced attack, slash, stab, smash, reminded him of how _she_ and his comrades were cut down. And then every moment of pause was filled with Rena's slackened face.

He needed to focus harder on his training. He had to move faster. He had to strike harder.

Faster. Harder.

 _Faster. Harder._

 _FASTER. HARDER._

"Raven…?" A gentle voice shattered his concentration and his blade came to a dead stop, the steel still quietly singing. Inhaling deeply, the Blade Master composed himself for the oncoming question. Out of courtesy, he turned to face the owner of the voice.

Sure enough it was the Grand Archer, and her worried eyes betrayed her next words. "Are you okay?" she asked. He saw it coming from a mile away.

So he used his usual response. "I'm fine, Rena. Why do you ask?" The question was important to his conscious. If she said his fencing looked like something was bothering him that was one thing. But…

"Well…" Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Last night…" That was all she needed to say.

She heard him scream.

Great, now he had to deal with knowing that his friend probably lost sleep over him; just what he needed to weigh on his conscious.

"Just a bad dream, that's all." He now chose to turn away from her, a silent request to end the conversation. Most of the time it worked, and she would leave him and then he'd be over it by the day's end.

However… "Raven, people, most of all you, don't scream because of just a bad dream. You of all people are not one to be scared of anything." He turned back to her to shoot her an annoyed look. She seemed even more worried than usual, and she flinched slightly at his gaze.

"Rena… please… It's fine. It will pass, just like it always does," he reassured her. He really did not want to talk about that it was the sight of her corpse in his arms that made him cry in fear. He honestly felt like he would start to break down if he did.

But she was relentless this time around. "Raven, I can count the number of times I've heard you scream like that on only one hand. And that's for the nearly two years I've known you." She was really worried.

And it annoyed him. He didn't need this. He didn't need her to know that how vulnerable he felt.

So he did something rather unlike him. "I'm surprised you kept track. Two years is nothing to an elf, isn't it?" It wasn't really an acceptance of her observation. But it was definitely a passive insult meant to shoo her away.

Her eyes widened in shock, her ears twitched upwards, and a small gasp flew from her lips. It offended her.

But she quickly composed herself before taking a couple steps towards him. "Please, Raven. I know something is wrong. Let me help you." She held a clenched hand to her chest in a small plea.

Why wouldn't she just leave him alone!? He just wanted to be left by himself so he could sort his thoughts out, not lay them to bear for her to see.

Besides, what did she know? That something was _wrong_? Doesn't take a genius to figure that out if they heard someone they knew scream.

She knew nothing…

NOTHING!

His face must have betrayed his angry thoughts, because she gasped again and turned her head away in shame. "I'm sorry, Raven. Forget I said anything…" She finally gave up.

"It's… fine…" he muttered just loud enough for her to hear. He didn't want her to feel bad for pestering him, but he was still annoyed. She wasn't usually this persistent, but she meant well.

Or at least that what he would normally think. But for some reason, he was not thinking that now. Right now, his thoughts consisted of plans to get away from her. He did not want to see her right now.

Every time he stole a glance at her face, he was reminded of that terrible dream of seeing Rena and _her_ die in his arms at the same time. Losing _her_ was hard enough. To lose Rena as well would… break him.

She was the source of his fear. And he wanted her to go away so he didn't have to feel scared anymore. It wasn't her fault by any means, but a mind traumatized will conjure any reason beyond it to justify itself.

Right now… he hated her.

"Anyways…" Almost like a ball on a string, she rebounded back to her usual optimistic self. "I heard that the refugees were putting on a small festival here in the suburbs. Let's go together," was what came out of her mouth.

 _Come with me so I can probe you more on your problems_ , was what went into Raven's ear. Even though the thought of spending the day with the archer got his blood simmering, he couldn't downright refuse her. Turning his back to the elf he answered, "I'll think about it."

It would have to do for now. He could only hope that she would take this passive evasion as a refusal. As he returned to his practice, he heard a small "Okay," before the sound of her footsteps faded away. He was now alone again, with only his fears to accompany him…

* * *

"Guess it's a good thing that eggs don't count as meat…" Elsword muttered as he set his utensils down on his empty plate.

Aisha nodded in agreement. "Yeah, at least it's protein…"

"Do you have a complaint about breakfast, Elsword, Aisha?" The Grand Archer turned to them with a dark smile that sent icy shivers up the two young adventurer's spines.

"Nope! Nothing at all!" they said in perfect unison.

"Wonderful, now please take care of the dishes." Rena beamed as she placed her clean plate into the sink and started to walk out of the room.

"Uh… What? Wait, where are you going, Rena?" Aisha asked, curious because the elf was usually the one in charge of cleaning the table.

Turning to the mage, Rena gave small, mischievous smile. "I am going out to the festival with Raven. I want to enjoy as much as I can before tomorrow." Tomorrow was the day the group would join forces with the remnants of the Velder garrison to take back the city. But that was not what was going through the two younger adventurers' minds.

 _Rena and Raven… Alone together…? Could it be a…?_ Elsword thought, a small grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

 _Going out together…? Is this a…?_ The mage's face was becoming unusually hot.

 _A DATE!?_ They finished their thoughts together, the grin finally splitting the Lord Knight's face and the Elemental Master's flaring like a torch.

Eve watched silently as her own thoughts ran through her head. _Interesting… Raven is not one to accompany anyone anywhere unless it is a mission…_

As the two members in question turned their backs to the three to converse, all three stared at them with the same look in their eyes.

 _I gotta see this!_

 _I'm not going to stalk them! I'm just going to follow them and make sure nothing weird happens!_

 _I must observe this event._

However, the scrutinized duo were none the wiser, because the Grand Archer was too busy beaming innocently at the Blade Master and he was glaring daggers back at her.

He never said that he wanted to go with her. He said he was going to _think_ about it. Since when did think about it become yes I will come? This annoyed him greatly because, to him, she gave his answer for him so he couldn't refuse.

That really upset and angered him. What gave her the right to speak for him? How _dare_ she!? He just wanted to be alone! But it was as if she insisted on being this nagging, presumptuous bitch just to satisfy her need to feel good about herself.

That was how she got off on all this. She felt the need to help others so she would feel better about herself. That's it. It was a selfish desire to feel needed. He could see right through her.

But, he still couldn't refuse in front of the others, so with simmering anger, he said, "Fine. Give me a couple minutes," he grumbled. She must have realized he wasn't happy with the outcome, because her smile turned somber. As she left for the front of the inn, he barely made out a quiet "I'm sorry…" from her lips.

 _Whatever. I'll tag along for an hour or two and then excuse myself_ , he thought to himself as he stepped into the washroom to splash a little water on his face to get rid of the persistent flecks of food stuck to it. Maybe if he at least entertained her for a bit, she would leave him alone. He would just have to put up with her for a little while, and that should serve to satisfy her enough. At least that was his hope.

Once he finished, he checked his outfit for any dirty spots or the like. As he finished, he thought _Why am I even bothering to look my best? I just want to get away from her as soon as possible once we're out there…_ It was a bit baffling, to be honest. Where was the point in his appearance being acceptable when he did not care much for the outing in the first place? Shaking his head to clear his confusion, he stepped out to a patiently waiting elf sitting on the fence.

"Ready?" she asked as she hopped off her perch, her face beaming. He gave a silent nod and a slight grunt. Her face fell slightly, perhaps reading that he really did not want to go, but she gave a small nod regardless. "Alright, let's go then."

She turned and lead the way into the streets with a begrudging Raven in tow…

* * *

 **The second half is nearly finished, so you should be seeing that up within the week. This is a new update technique I am following now: I will only post updates to my stories when I am almost done with the _next_ update. Yes it means the time between the first new update to any of my stories will take longer, but it also means that once that first update hits the rest will roll out quicker than usual. As always, constructive criticism is very much appreciated. Please Read and Review, and I hope for your support as I continue down this path of the pen. Until next time!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everyone! So this was done almost a week ago, but I was trying to find a good place to cut it off. This one-shot quickly turned into a two-shot, and now it is going to be _at least_ a three-shot. Hopefully, it'll stop by then so I can finish my Boundaries update that has been just staring at me for the past month and a half...**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

He should have thought about this a lot harder. The thought of the festival taking place on this particular street didn't cross his mind. While for many, this street was just a stone road that lead to the famous Clock Tower Plaza, for him it was one of many figurative memory lanes.

A memory of happier times long past sprung up as he was pulled from stall to stall by the elf, one where _she_ did the very same thing years ago. They had come to this very street to enjoy a small festival put on by the local businesses and residents when he had a day off from his mercenary company. _She_ had dragged him from stand to stand to sample food, play games and occasionally put funny hats on his head.

This was no different. Rena had the same laugh, the same look in her eyes, and the same smile as _she_ did that day. And even though the crowd was much thinner now, due to the fact that the city was under demonic attack, the atmosphere of the event was also the same: joyous.

But Raven could sense the desperation behind the smiling faces. The people knew this would likely be their last chance to have a moment like this before the demons would take it away. So they choose to enjoy what they could before then. Was his companion thinking the same thing?

Stealing a glance at the Grand Archer, he watched her carefully, searching for any sign of that urgency in her eyes. She caught him staring at him out of the corner of his eye and gave him a small smile. "Is there something wrong, Raven?"

 _Is there something wrong, Raven?_

He averted his eyes to a mask on the stand that resembled a lizardman. "No, nothing is wrong…"

He was lying of course. _She_ did the same thing many years back, and the elf recreating that scene inevitably led to him remembering those happy times…

And that nightmare; the one where he watched _her_ die in his arms, along with Rena. Biting his lip, he tried to force the nightmare to a distant corner of his mind when Rena's face appeared just inches from his.

"Raven…" The sudden close proximity and the breath of her voice caressing his cheek gave him a start, causing him to take two unconscious steps back from her. Her eyes widened in surprise at his reaction and her eyebrows kneaded worriedly.

Realizing he was only making things worse, he gave a nervous cough. "Please don't do that again. I thought you were an enemy for a second…" he lied once again. He was hoping that perhaps this excuse would serve to at least stop her from invading his personal space.

And from how she was hanging her head, it seemed to work. "I'm sorry, Raven." Normally, she would have poked fun at him for his reaction, saying that there was no need for him to be shy or the like. But she was being awfully submissive today. And that worried him a bit.

So he relented. "No, don't worry about it, Rena. It's just…" He searched for the words. "With the demons just over that wall, I guess I'm a bit on edge." Rena met his eyes with her own, the elf likely deciding whether to believe him or not.

"I suppose that makes sense." It looked like she bought it, as she put on a sunny smile and beckoned for him to follow her down the street. "Well, that's why we're here, isn't it? To remember what we're trying to protect." Leave it to Rena to always find the silver lining. Even with the looming demon threat, she found a reason to forget it and push past the terror.

Could he, too?

He followed her for a distance, before noticing a familiar, smoking stall across the street. "Rena, hold up a moment," he called and she spun on her heel to face him. As he walked over, she followed him, her nose picking up a scent she'd never experienced before.

"What is it?" she asked as she sniffed the air.

"This stall sells grilled foodstuffs. Vegetables, meat, you name it, they can grill it," he explained, earning him an impressed "Oh" from the Grand Archer. Stepping up he called out to the man handling the grill, "Excuse me."

The young boy manning the front hopped up from the overturned box that was his chair. "How are you good sir? What can we get… you…?" The kid trailed off as he laid eyes on Rena, who was inspecting the stall with undisguised interest. Apparently, he had never seen an elf before, or perhaps even a woman as beautiful as the archer.

Raven gave a slight shake of the head to get that last thought out of his head. He could appreciate her looks another time. "I'll take a meat skewer with some peppers and onions. She'll be taking…" Looking to Rena, he silently urged her to place an order.

"Oh! Sorry, I've never seen anything like this before…" Rena giggled. "Um… I guess I'll just have as many vegetables as you can fit on one?" She smiled at the boy, whose face flared up like the grill.

Not even taking his eyes off her, he called to the cook. "Hey, dad, one meat with peppers and onions and one veggie!" He then fell silent as he continued to stare at the elf, who no longer noticed as she went back to watching the grill master cook up their food.

The man called over his shoulder, "You got it! Coming right up!" Rena's nose twitched and her ears perked up excitedly as the aroma of grilled vegetables tickled her nostrils. Raven stifled a chuckle as he watched her eagerly wait. It was like watching a child waiting for their ice cream.

It didn't take long for the grill master to finish their order and bring it to the front. But he withheld the morsels and shot a questioning look to his son, who was still staring at Rena. "Ahem." The sound startled the boy and he looked to his father. The man nodded his head towards the duo and looked at the kid expectantly. When the boy tilted his head questioningly, the father let out a sigh and turned to Raven with the same look.

"Ah, right. Sorry about that," Raven apologized as he fished through his pants pocket with his right hand. Once he withdrew his coin pouch he carefully undid the knot with his claw and extracted a couple gold ED coins. But just as he was getting ready to hand over the payment…

"Do I know you…?" When Raven looked back at the cook, he noticed that he was staring at him with narrowed eyes, as if he were on the verge of remembering something.

A chill crawled up the Blade Master's spine. He had been so caught up in the moment that he failed to realize that this was the same man who served her and him just over two years ago. If he recognized him, then…

"Uh… Er… I don't know." He swallowed hard to suppress another memory that was creeping up.

"I think this is the first time we met…" He remembered how she and he conversed with this man – was Tobias his name? – over their skewers for a good hour because Raven was trying to get some pointers on how to grill. _She_ had stood by patiently, entertaining the bored son as the two men had rambled on and on.

And then the nightmare returned. _Her_ and Rena's pale, slack faces appeared in his mind's eye, staring at him with empty gazes. He had to leave. Now.

"Here." He quickly pushed the coins into the man's pockets and snatched the skewers from his hands. "Thank you." Shoving Rena's food into her hands, he quickly excused himself and briskly walked back down the street.

"Ah, Ra-" Rena started to call out to him, but quickly turned back to the stunned cook and his son to give a gracious bow and thanks. Chasing after the Blade Master, gently gripped his human wrist. "Raven, what happened back there? Did you recognize that man?"

Fighting back the terrifying images in his mind, he gave her a hard look. "It doesn't matter…" he seethed, perhaps too harshly. Slightly shocked by his hostility, she released his hand quickly and gasped.

"Ah… I'm…" she started to form an apology, but he beat her to it.

"I'm sorry, Rena. I don't mean to lash out." He mentally chastised himself for practically wearing his heart on his sleeve. "Maybe coming out here was not the best idea…" He hoped that she would take it to mean that the demons were putting him on edge, not her.

"… It really worries you, doesn't it?" She bought it. "Perhaps it was foolish of me to ask you to come with me…" she trailed off, her ears beginning to droop.

This wasn't working. Everything, even the small things, reminded him of _her_ which would then lead back to that terrifying figure that died in his arms last night. He needed to get away from this elf before he suffered a psychotic episode or something.

But he couldn't leave her feeling down like this. It just didn't feel right. "Rena…" He almost whispered and she lifted her crestfallen face to him. "I think I'll head back once I finish this…" He shook his skewer lightly so she would see.

Her spring green eyes shifted to the object, drawn to the motion. "I see… I suppose that may be best…" Her mouth turned up into a sad smile as she eyed her own snack before looking back to the Blade Master. "Please forgive me, Raven. I just…" Just as she was about to finish, her eyes turned the road again. Raven narrowed his eyes curiously at her, waiting for her to finish.

But she never did. Her eyes wandered behind him, perhaps seeking a change of topic. Something must've caught her attention at that point because her drooping ears perked up excitedly and the sad look on her face brightened with a smile. "Sorry Raven, we can talk about that later. Let's take a look at that over there!" She walked briskly past him and took her first bite of her skewered vegetables. "Mmmm! Thish ish ser gerd!"

Raven was taking a bite of his own at that moment and nearly choked on his grilled beef.

"Re-Rena…" he coughed, stifling a chuckle. "Do you have to talk with your mouth full?" He had never seen her behave so… giddily before. Sure she brightened the group's days with her sunny disposition, but that was because she exuded this… aura. When she was around, it was like you didn't have to try to smile. Her mere presence warmed your heart. Her words soothed your soul.

Her smile… Was so much like _hers_ ; Bright, calming, genuine and just… happy.

And how it shined; shining so brightly that the nightmare didn't surface. The only thing he could see in front of him and in his mind was Rena's smile.

And _her's_ …

While he wasn't remembering the nightmare, other memories sprang up; one where he watched _her_ wake on their first day as an engaged couple. He remembered as _she_ stirred, and how _she_ smiled when _she_ found him kneeling at the foot of the bed. He remembered how they exchanged their first "good morning" as fiances and how they ate breakfast together. He remembered how…

How much he missed _her_.

He forgot that he was walking by the elf's side until her gasp snapped him awake.

"Raven, what's wrong?"

"What? Nothing, Rena."

"But, you're…"

"Hm?" She was staring at his face in shock. Confused, he brought his right hand to his face, moving his skewer to his left hand. And he felt something that shouldn't be there under his eyes: water.

No, tears.

Was he crying? Why was he crying? Why was he crying in front of Rena?

"Ah…" he breathed. He didn't feel like he was actually crying. He wasn't a sobbing mess or stifling cries of sorrow. He quickly wiped his eyes dry with his sleeve. "Sorry, Rena. I… I have no idea what came over me."

He looked down at the ground in embarrassment, so he didn't notice her hand until it gently caressed his face. "Raven, I know I shouldn't pry, but…" He craned his neck to look her in the face. "I can't help but think that something is wrong."

His breath hitched. "Ever since this morning you have been upset. Even angry."

 _Stop…_

"I don't know what is wrong and I only want to help."

 _Please stop…_

"But I am almost certain that it is because of last night, when you scre-"

 _Raven…_

He slapped her hand away. "Rena! Ple-"

"Um… Excuse me, Mister. Miss…" Just as the nightmare surfaced again Raven was about to lash out, but he was interrupted by a small voice.

The duo looked down slightly to find a young girl, no older than twelve, garbed in a ragged one piece dress. She was fidgeting with a couple of handmade flower crowns in her hands, averting her eyes shyly.

"Um… Would… would you…" she trailed off before sucking in a deep breath. "Wouldyoulikeoneofthese!?"

Her eyes squeezed shut as she held out the little crowns to the duo. Rena stared at the girl for a moment before kneeling down with a small smile.

"These look lovely, dear. Let me ask my friend if he would like one." She turned to Raven, an expectant look in her eyes.

But the Blademaster was already walking away, and quite quickly at that. "Ah, Raven!" The elf quickly looked to the girl and back to her friend, biting the bottom of her lip. "I'm sorry, little one," was all she could afford to say before she lost sight of Raven around the corner.

Bolting after him, she caught up to the former mercenary as he rounded the corner. "Raven! What is wrong?" she asked, her hand reaching for his right arm.

"Nothing. Leave me be," he shot back, pulling his limb away from her reach.

Rena sucked in a small breath, her eyes narrowing. "This isn't nothing, Raven. You've been acting off all day. What's wrong?"

"Fine then. It isn't nothing. But it isn't something you need to know. Now leave me be." He shot a hot glare in her direction. His frustration and anger were at the boiling point. If she said one more thing…

She pressed her mouth into a thin line, probably debating whether to continue probing him. And he soon heard the answer.

"Raven, I know I'm probably over overstepping my boundaries here, but I cannot leave this be. I can't leave you be." She looked into his eyes with a soft gaze, a warm, welcoming, yet forced, smile on her lips. "So please, tell me, does this have to do with last ni-"

 _Raven…_

"JUST SHUT UP! LEAVE ME ALONE YOU EL-FORSAKEN, NAGGING LONG-EAR!"

Then came the silence. Not even a gasp.

The elf stared at her companion in utter shock. Never before had he said such a thing. "Long-ear" was almost an insult of the highest disrespect towards an elf. To be called one by him…

Broke her heart.

Her ears drooped so steeply they nearly ran parallel to her neck. Her face fell and her head turned to face the ground.

Raven barely caught the quiet "I'm sorry" before she passed him briskly, turned the corner and finally left him alone...

* * *

 **Just in case you don't know much about Raven's backstory, his late fiance, Seris, looked _very_ much like Rena. Of course without the ears. But my portrayal of Raven's coping with his loss is something that he prefers to avoid. This is why instead of writing "Seris" I use _she_ and _her._ He doesn't want to remember how much it hurt to lose Seris, so he unconsciously forgets her name in an attempt to forget the pain. This inadvertently causes him to remember his loss even more strongly. But he believes that he is trying to forget and move on. This vicious cycle ensures that as long as he dwells on the pain of his loss, he will never move forward.**

 **Anyways, as always, reviews are very helpful in keeping me not only motivated, but allow me to improve my skills as a writer. Please Read and Review. Until next time!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Alright, it's finally done! Hope you all enjoy the end of A Promise!**

* * *

Her footsteps echoed in his mind long after they left earshot, leaving him with a feeling he thought he'd never feel again: empty.

It was the same as that time, when _she_ died in his arms. The most painful feeling of isolation ate at his soul then.

And now, it came for him again. But this time, he brought it on himself. All because he was afraid; afraid of letting her in. Afraid of allowing her to see how wretched and broken he was.

Now a new emotion took over: regret.

How could he say that to her? How could say such a thing?

He craned his neck to take in his surroundings. A couple of passersby were glanced at him warily from the corner of their eyes. Considering he just yelled angrily in the middle of a festival, their cautious stares were warranted. But they cut into his spirit, chastening him for what he had done.

Shame and regret welled up in his chest and he averted his eyes from the bystanders, choosing instead to gaze at the stone road beneath him. His eyes caught a glance of his half-eaten skewer. It was still warm, and its aromas still lingered about his nose, teasing him to take a bite.

So he did, but it tasted bland; nothing like it did just moments ago. The storm of pain and regret smothered his senses. His eyes tunneled to the stones at his feet and his ears caught only the muffled sounds of passersby.

This…

This is what he never wanted to feel again.

This feeling of crushing isolation. A feeling that threatened to drag him to the ground and flatten his being.

How long has it been since he felt this? Three years? Five? One hundred?

He couldn't even think straight. The only things clear in his mind were that he last felt this when _she_ passed on and the pained expression Rena wore before she left him.

He must have stood there like a statue for days, but he knew it was only minutes. He knew he had to move, at least to begin returning back to the others. But…

She would be there. The one he hurt. She would still feel the sting of his words. He would still feel the sting of regret. It would raise questions when the two of them wouldn't speak more than five words to each other since their outing.

Maybe he could run away. Flee north to Bethma and hide away in the canyons perhaps. Or maybe backtrack to the dark forests in Feita and carve out a living among the cursed woods.

No, that wouldn't work. If he suddenly went missing after what happened today, the others would turn over the entire continent to find him. They'd probably even leave the Velder garrison forces on their own to focus on their search.

As that last thought crossed his mind, a grin slowly creeped across his face and his finally moved his feet. He shook his head slightly as he walked in no particular direction, as if it would somehow throw the expression off his lips.

The thought of them dropping the liberation of this city to come find him made him happy. But it also worried him. The lengths they would go to help a comrade could be their undoing.

But, he didn't want them, especially Rena, to see how pathetic he truly was. He knew that he would be incapable of even making eye contact with the Grand Archer now, let alone speak to her. She was perhaps the one closest to him, and now he pushed her so far away.

Was it because of their closeness that this hurt so terribly? Was it because of how much Rena looked like _her_?

The angry thoughts from before had vanished, but he could still hear their echoes silently taunting him as he walked aimlessly through the streets.

 _JUST SHUT UP! LEAVE ME ALONE YOU EL-FORSAKEN, NAGGING LONG-EAR!_

The last words he spoke to her echoed in his mind the loudest, a shameful reminder of his pathos.

He clenched his teeth as if they could crush that event from reality. But the words were already said. The wounds were already opened. They would never be undone. They would forever be-

"Oh!"

"Ah!"

The bump against his leg snapped him back to reality and shook his skewer from his grasp.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't really paying attention to where I…" he started, but trailed off when he recognized the victim of his carelessness. It was the girl who was trying to sell he and Rena flower crowns not too long ago, and a few of her wares were now strewn about the ground around her.

"Ah! I'm sorry, sir!" she cried and scrambled to pick up the crowns. As he watched her collect the floral headpieces, he began to take notice of some of the finer details of her attire. Now that he was looking closer, he could see patchwork seams running along her dress, there was even a small section on the back that bore the seal of Residential Area 3 Grainery.

She must have been the child of peasants living there before the demons invaded. Now, even her home was taken from her. In a way, she was like him, one who had lost everything.

But what was this nagging feeling in his chest as he watched her dust off the flower crowns and heave a sigh of relief. It almost felt like she was… happy despite everything.

"Um… Sir, is there something wrong?" Her question snapped him out of his wandering thoughts.

"Ah. No, nothing is wrong. I'm sorry for knocking you over. I wasn't really paying attention."

"Oh, it's okay!" She put on a small smile and then began to look around him curiously. "Um… where did your friend go?"

That question stung a lot more than he thought it would have. "We... " Could he even still call her his friend after what he said to her? "We had a bit of a… a fight…"

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's just that you two seemed like you got along well enough, so I thought…" She trailed off at the end, turning her head towards the ground dejectedly. Wait, how did she know if they got along?

"Wait, were you watching us?" he asked. She flinched slightly at the question, but she nodded her head nevertheless.

"Yes. I was watching you since you both arrived at the festival." She nibbled the bottom of her lip guiltily. "I was… watching for couples coming through the festival because I thought they'd like my crowns…"

"We… We're not a couple, um…" He didn't know her name, so he made a slight probe hoping she'd pick up on it.

"Ellie. My name is Ellie." She was a sharp kid, she noticed.

"Ellie. That's a wonderful name. I'm sure your parents thought it was a great name, seeing as they were the ones that picked it out for you." He allowed the corners of his mouth to curve up slightly. But…

"I… I don't know where my parents are…"

"Ah…" That was insensitive of him. An invasion was unfolding just over the wall and her home was on that side of it. It should stand to reason that perhaps she was now truly alone.

"It's okay. They said they'd catch up after they checked up on their friends."

"Their friends? Where were they?"

"We lived on the south end of the city, our friends lived a couple blocks north of us."

 _Oh no._ The soldier in him immediately assumed the worst. During an invasion, a couple blocks was measured in steps, with each only bringing you closer to death.

Her parents weren't coming back. She was alone, and perhaps she didn't realize it yet.

He needed to change the subject. "So, why did you think we were a couple, Ellie?" While she did mention that she figured they got along, that didn't make them any closer than friends would be.

She paused for a moment. "Well, she was always smiling around you."

"Smiling?"

"Yeah, but you weren't. My mom told me this before she left; that there has to be the same number of smiles in the world as there are people."

"The same amount of smiles as people? In the world? But, Ellie, some people don't smile. How does that work?" He almost chuckled. It was such a silly thing, for everyone in the world to be smiling.

"Well, someone else smiles for them."

"What?" He felt his thoughts stop.

"If someone isn't smiling, there is someone else in the world that is smiling for them. This way, when they smile themselves, the world is filled with more smiles" He started putting two and two together.

"So, you think that... she was smiling because I wasn't?" He figured that Rena was smiling just because that was her default expression. It was rare to find the Grand Archer with anything but a smile on her face outside of combat.

"Yeah. She was always smiling around you." She started fidgeting with the flower crowns in her hands. "Was I wrong?"

"You know, Ellie, I'm not too sure myself now…" Was that really what was going on this whole time? She was just trying to cheer him up? She wasn't trying to probe him?

 _No! That bitch stuck her nose where she shouldn't have. I should've told her off ages ago!_ An angry voice yelled in his head. But he never remembered being so upset with her before.

Then it hit him. She wasn't the problem. _He_ was the problem. He was afraid; afraid of letting her in. Afraid of allowing her to see how wretched and broken he was. Only now did he realize that those angry voices in his head were also frightened.

A little voice in his head told him he knew why; it was because he was scared. Scared that he would lose someone again. So he pushed her away so he didn't have someone to lose.

So, how was he going to make this right? A simple apology wouldn't do, especially after calling Rena that name. So he turned to the only ear that could listen.

"Ellie. I need some help. I think I made it hard for her to smile now. How can I put one on her face right now?" He asked her. She looked at him, seemingly dumbfounded, for only a moment.

"Well, if you smiled for her, I'm sure she'd smile back," she answered matter-of-factly. He couldn't help but chuckle at this.

Leave it to a child to solve an adult's problems.

"Ellie thank you." He pushed off his knee with his human hand and stood up. He knew what he had to do. But to do that...

"How much are those?"

* * *

"Mommy, is that a-"

"Pay it no mind, dear. Let's keep moving."

Her sensitive ears picked up the quick exchange of what was probably a child and their mother. But she couldn't confirm it, as she was seated in a tree, her head buried in her arms.

Blessed El Lady, how long had she been here? The tears, though now dried, had blurred her sense of time.

But his voice, his eyes, the pain on his face; all of it was as clear as a pure El crystal.

The last words he said to her were so full of pain and anger. She should've known better than to probe. One of Elder Branwen's pieces of advice sounded in her mind: _Gungjie mollin jwiga goyang-ileul mul-eossda._

In the common tongue, it meant "a cornered rat will bite the cat." This was a saying that was shared between humans and elves, and it meant the same thing for both.

She pushed Raven into a mental corner.

And he struck back.

Long-ear he called her.

Never in her long life had anyone ever dared say that to her face. Every now and then, she'd pick up a whisper of it from some of the more xenophobic inhabitants of Elrios as she passed through with the rest of the party. But she would never confront them, always choosing to ignore them instead.

But today, she could finally say she had been called one. And by him of all people.

 _How dare he!? He knows better than to say that to me! What gives him the right to fling insults to my face! I was just trying to help!_ An angry voice chose this moment to rise up from her subconscious.

She pressed her head deeper into her arms, now pushing it up against her knees. She knew she couldn't silence that voice. It had a point; she was only trying to help. She didn't want to see Raven so upset.

He was always the distant one. The one that would walk a couple paces behind the rest. The one that would rise earlier than the rest, and fall asleep before everyone else. The one who always kept at least an arm's length between himself and the rest at supper.

The one who smiled the least.

As a comrade, he was easily the most dependable of the group. He always had sound advice to give to Elsword and Aisha, whether it involved combat or otherwise. While he claimed that he didn't get along with her, he was never below teaching Eve a thing or two about humans. He even got Eve into this new exercise routine. Well, at least he got Eve to get Oberon into it.

And he would always lend her a helping hand when she asked for it. Whether it was cooking dinner, moving something that was a little too heavy for her (usually Eve's equipment), or just lending an ear as they traveled to their next destination.

But he still felt so far away. He never got close enough to reach out and touch you. He always made sure there was enough room for another to pass through when walking next to you. And he never spoke of his past unless it was related to swords.

But his smile… Not the silly grin he puts on when he trounces Elsword during a spar. The one that occasionally graces his lips when the others are laughing around the fire. The one he wore just the other day when she played that grass whistle for him.

The genuine smile that tells her that he is happy. That was when he felt the closest.

As the past two years ticked by, she had been trying to reach out to him. To bring him closer not just to herself, but the others as well. She didn't want him to stay at arm's length all the time. They were friends, not just comrades.

And it seemed to be working. Now he walked with the group, not behind it. He was willing to brush shoulders with everyone. And he would even lean over into her own space to whisper in her ear.

But today, all that went awry.

When she saw how far he wanted to be from her this morning, she feared that he was regressing back to when they first met. That distant comrade.

She saw her friend leaving.

She didn't want to lose that man, the one whose smile brightened her day. She was so desperate to get him back that she…

She lost him.

The tears returned.

She should've just listened to him. She should've left him be. She should've let it pass, just like it always did! She should've-

"Rena?"

Her breath hitched in her throat and her head snapped up. She must have been hearing things. There was no way he was at the foot of this tree after what happened.

"Rena?" it came again.

She slowly turned her head down, thinking it was a cruel trick her mind was playing on her. But when her green eyes met his golden ones, she regretted not wiping her nose.

There he was.

It was Raven.

"Raven…?" she breathed. She couldn't believe it. Here he was, standing before her. And how terrible she must look! She quickly rubbed her nose and eyes on the edge of her glove. "What are you doing here? I thought…"

He tilted his head, waiting for her to finish. But she didn't want to say that she thought he had left them for good.

"Nevermind." She shook her head.

"I see," he said. His gaze started to wander around the plaza. "Can we… Can we talk?" He wanted to talk!?

"O-Of course!" She mentally chastised herself for sounding so excited. She would let him make the next move then.

And then an awkward silence followed.

"..."

"..."

"Er… Could you…?" he started, his gaze sizing up the tree.

"Come down? Of course," she finished for him. Swinging her legs to the side she pushed herself off the branch and landed gracefully on the ground.

Raven, ever the gentleman, looked away until she touched down. "Thanks. It's just that this thing…" He brought up his mechanical arm. "Isn't really suited for climbing."

"I understand."

Another moment of silence followed, and both of them couldn't look into the other's eye.

And then…

"Raven-"

"Rena-"

Silence followed again, but this time only Raven broke it.

"Why do I feel like this is something that should be happening between Elsword and Aisha?"

She couldn't help but giggle at this. "Yes, this is rather silly of us, isn't it? Well, why don't we just say what we want to say at the same time?" she suggested.

"Works for me." He nodded.

"Alright then…" She took a deep breath and then-

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry."

Both had a look of surprise and relief. But the shock quickly wore off and they each heaved a sigh.

"Raven, what I did… I didn't mean to hurt you. I-" How her voice quivered. Was she scared of what he might think of her now?

"Rena, please. I… I hurt you, too. I was just…" he started, biting his bottom lip. The words he was about to speak were what frightened him, but they had to be said. "... I was scared, Rena."

The elf's eyes widened in surprise. She had been trying to place what was bothering the Blade Master all day. To hear it was fear was both concerning and relieving. It brought relief because it meant that he was necessarily angry with her. And it brought concern because he wasn't one to be scared of much, if anything.

"Raven, if it's alright…" She wanted to know more. What was terrifying him so? "What is it that you are afraid of?"

Unlike before, when he snapped off angry replies, he set his jaw and his gaze wandered to his feet.

Could he tell her? Tell her of what scarred his heart?

"I… I'm sorry, Rena. I can't tell you." No, he could not.

Her ears began to droop at his answer. She was really hoping that he trusted her enough to open up to her. Maybe these past two years didn't bring them as close as she thought.

"But, please understand. It isn't you, Rena," he continued. "It's me."

She looked to him questioningly, so he continued.

"I trust you. I truly do. But I'm just not ready to tell you. Not yet, anyways." He looked to the open palm of his claw, a habit she recognized when he would think on his past. "But, someday when I am ready to confront my own fears, I will come to you."

He reached his human hand behind him and, after a moment of fidgeting with something on his belt, he withdrew two flower crowns. The same ones the little girl was selling not too long ago. She couldn't help the small gasp that flew from her chest as he held out one for her to take.

As she closed her fingers around the one offered to her, she felt a smile grace her lips. Looking to him, she now saw what she had been wanting all this time; his smile.

Her friend was back. Or perhaps he never left. Whatever the case, they were close again.

"Thank you, Raven," she said as she set her crown atop her golden hair. As she saw him put his own on his head, she reached out her right hand with her palm towards him. "Do you mind fulfilling a selfish request of mine?"

He looked at her hand for only a moment before nodding in assent. Reaching out with his own, he brought the palm of his right hand and joined hers. She never realized until now how big his hand was!

"We elves use little ceremonies from time to time. By appealing to the spirits of the El, we receive their blessing for many things. All I need to you do is repeat after me, okay?" she explained.

"Alright, I'll follow your lead."

"Okay. Follow along as best you can…" She closed her eyes and reached out to the surrounding spirits, requesting their audience. " _Na, neoui chingu_ …"

"Uh… _na, neo-oui chingu_ …" He wasn't expecting this whole thing to be in elvish, but he tried for her sake.

" _Neoleul eodum sog-e beoliji anh-eul geos-eul seoyaghada_ …"

" _Neoleul e-eodum sog-e... beolij-ji anh-eul geos-eul s-seoyagha-ada_..." If he made it through this without biting his tongue, he would be impressed.

" _Naneun dangsin-ui seunglileul chughahagi wihae geogieiss-eul geos-eul maengsehanda_..."

" _N-Naneun dangsin-u-ui seung-g-glileul chugha-ahagi wihae g-geogieiss-eul geos-eul maengs-sehanda_..." At this, small orbs of soft, green light began to appear around the elf and man.

" _Naneun neoui paebaeleul seulpeohagi wihae geogieiss-eul geos-eul maengsehanda_..."

" _Nan-neun n-neoui pae-ebaeleul seulp-peoha-agi wihae geo-ogieiss-eul geos-eul m-maengsehanda_ …" The orbs began to glow more intensely.

" _Hajiman mueosboda_ …"

" _Hajiman mueosboda_ …" The little lights were now moving towards their joined hands, forming what looked like a kind of knot.

" _N_ _aneun yeong-won-ui kkeutkkaji hangsang-iss-eul geos-eul maengsehanda_ …"

" _N_ _an-neun yeo-ong-won-ui kk-keutkka-aji hangsang-iss-e-eul geos-eul maengseha-handa_ …" The individual lights now coalesced into a band, binding their hands together.

" _Ne chingu_."

" _Ne chingu_." On the final phrase, the band of light merged with their joined hands and Rena closed her fingers around his. He followed suit quickly.

He never realized how small hands like hers could feel so strong. And she never realized how large hands like his could be so gentle.

Raven decided to break the silence. "Rena? What was-"

"D-Did they just…?"

"Shut up, you idiot!"

"I advise you both remain silent."

Three whispers floated from a nearby bush. Now the smiles the two wore went from serene to jaded.

Rena gave an annoyed huff and then gave Raven a little wink. "Well, Raven, it was…" She glanced over to the offending brush to make sure that their eavesdroppers would hear what came next. "A mating ceremony. Our most cherished ritual."

It took every bit of fortitude Raven had to not sputter, but he could not stop his cheeks from turning red. He knew she was joking, but did she have to say _that_!?

Fortunately, the impromptu prank seemed to have served its purpose, as the whispers began to grow louder.

"OhmyElohmyElohmyElohmyEl-"

"Aisha, snap out of it! Rena's gonna hear you!"

"Elsword, I recommend you bring your voice down a few hundred decibels."

"Then why are you getting louder, too!?"

"OhmyElohmyElohmyElohmyEl-"

Now, they released each other's hands and looked to the now shaking bush. Raven crossed his arms with a half-smirk on his face while Rena looked on with both hands on her hips.

"I believe our attempt to gather intelligence on interracial relationships has been foiled. They are looking at us."

"Oh shit! Rena's gonna kill us, we gotta run! Come on, Aisha!"

"OhmyElohmyElohmyElohmyEl-"

"It seems Aisha is in no condition to even respond. I suggest we leave her behind. She could buy us time to escape."

"No! I won't leave anyone behind!"

Rena leaned over to whisper in Raven's ear. "Should I tell them it was just an elven promise of friendship?"

Raven's mouth formed into a half-scowl. "You know, it wouldn't have hurt for you to tell me that first… But give it a day. I'll teach our young knight a lesson in our next spar. I'll leave the other two to you."

Rena now took her hands off her hips to crack her knuckles. "Why thank you, Raven. I'll be sure to teach these children that it is rude to eavesdrop." Her voice started to growl like an angry animal.

"Danger. Danger. Danger. Danger."

"Eve, shut up! I know! Just help me with Aisha!"

"OhmyElohmyElohmyElohmyEl-"

Rena took a step towards the bush, Raven a pace just her stretching his claw menacingly. "So, who wants to _die_ first?" the elf asked threateningly. At this, Elsword and Eve popped up from the bush with Oberon right behind them holding up a limp Aisha.

"Elsword volunteers." Eve pointed to the Lord Knight. Was she… sweating?

"No, I don't!" Elsword threw up his hands as he started backpedaling away.

"OhmyElohmyElohmyElohmyEl-" Aisha's mind was broken, capable of only a single phrase.

"Forget what she asked…" Raven growled.

"You're all dead!" Rena finished.

The screams nearly sent the town into a panic, but when they noticed that it was just their new guests, they paid them no more mind.

All was normal again.

All was happy again.

* * *

 **Finally done! The translation for the elven promise of friendship translates to:**

 **"I, your friend vow to never leave you in the dark. I vow to be there to celebrate your triumphs. I vow to be there to grieve your defeats. But above all I vow to always be, to the end of eternity, your friend."**

 **Now this isn't a perfect translation. It's just the romanji that pops out of Google Translate when the end language is set to Korean. Now with this out of the way, Boundaries is up next! Please Read and Review!**

 **And as always, until next time!**


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